Sunday, 30 October 2016

Maybe we should concentrate on the US Vice Presidential Candidates?

If I was a US citizen faced with the choice of Clinton or Trump an feeling that the latter is so appalling I would have to hold my nose and vote for the only marginally appealing Hillary. I would perhaps be loking at the Vice Presidtal candidates a bit more carefully Hillary "problem" with Email has surfaced and Trumps alleged sexual harassment of Women (which would have seen Operation Yew Tree investigating in the UK) leads to the possibility that bot could be impeached within a year.So who could find themselves enter the White House if Hilary or Donald are forced from office.I have used Blue for the Democrats and Red for the Republicans in accordance with US conventionDemocratTimothy Michael "Tim" Kaine (born February 26, 1958) is an American attorney and politician serving as the junior United States Senator from Virginia.

Kaine, a Roman Catholic, is personally againstabortion,but is "largely inclined to keep the law out of women's reproductive decisions."

Kaine personally opposes capital punishment, but presided over eleven executions while governor.]Kaine said: "I really struggled with [capital punishment] as governor. I have a moral position against the death penalty. But I took an oath of office to uphold it. Following an oath of office is also a moral obligation."

Kaine acknowledges the scientific consensus on climate change, and in a 2014 Senate speech criticizedclimate change deniers, as well as those who "may not deny the climate science, but ... deny that the U.S. can or should be a leader in taking any steps" to address the issue.

Kaine has said that he is "strongly for the regulation of the financial industry," and he supports theDodd–Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act.In July 2016, Kaine signed a bipartisan letter that "urged theConsumer Financial Protection Bureauto 'carefully tailor its rulemaking' [under Dodd-Frank] regardingcommunity banksandcredit unionsso as not to 'unduly burden' these institutions with regulations aimed atcommercial banks.The letter prompted criticism fromprogressiveswho viewed it as anti-regulation

n the Senate, Kaine has supported the normalization of U.S.–Cuban relationsand theinternational nuclear agreement with Iran.

Kaine expressed support forIsrael's right to defend itself during the2014 Israel–Gaza conflict.]Kaine also supported theSaudi Arabian-led intervention in Yemen]

Kaine is a gun owner.]He has supported expandedbackground checksfor weapons purchases as well as "restrictions on the sale of combat-style weapons andhigh-capacity magazines

Kaine supported passage of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Actof 2009 ("Obamacare"), saying in 2012: "I was a supporter and remain a supporter of the Affordable Care Act. I felt like it was a statement that we were going to put some things in the rear-view mirror."]In 2013, Kaine said that he agreed that changes to the ACA should be debated, but criticized Republicans for "wrapping them up with the threat" of afederal government shutdown

In 2006, Kaine campaigned against an amendment to the Virginia State Constitutionto barsame-sex marriage,7]and in March 2013, Kaine announced his support of same-sex marriage

Kaine is "generally pro-union" and has received a 96 percent lifetime Senate voting rating from theAFL-CIO,which praised his selection as vice presidential nominee

Republican

Michael Richard "Mike" Pence (born June 7, 1959) is an American politician and attorney serving as the 50th Governor of Indiana. Pence was first elected to the United States House of Representatives in 2000.

Pence has been a lifelong opponent of abortion, and his unwavering support of abortion restrictions has gained him the support of grassroots conservative activists] Pence began seeking to defund Planned Parenthood in 2007,[ and in three congressional sessions introduced legislation to block organizations that provide abortion services from receiving any Title X funding, even for services not related to reproductive health or family planning,

Pence has been a staunch opponent of efforts to expand LGBT civil rights. In 2000, Pence stated "Congress should oppose any effort to recognize homosexuals as a 'discrete and insular minority' entitled to the protection of anti-discrimination laws similar to those extended to women and ethnic minorities.] He called for "an audit to ensure that federal dollars were no longer being given to organizations that celebrate and encourage the types of behaviors that facilitate the spreading of the HIV virus" and instead advocated for resources to be directed toward conversion therapy programs, "[for] those seeking to change their sexual behavior

Pence has questioned proposals to decrease penalties for low-level marijuana offenses in Indiana, saying that the state should focus "on reducing crime, not reducing penalties." In 2013, Pence expressed concern that a then-pending bill to revise the state's criminal code was not tough enough on drug crimes, and successfully lobbied to limit the reduction in sentencing of marijuana offenses.

Pence was a co-sponsor of H.J.Res.73, a 2011 spending limit amendment to the U.S. Constitution. This amendment would limit federal spending to "the average annual revenue collected in the three prior years, adjusted in proportion to changes in population and inflation."

Pence voted against the act that created Medicare Part D, a Medicare prescription-drug benefit.] Pence voted against the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act] In June 2012, after the U.S. Supreme Court upheld the Affordable Care Act in NFIB v. Sebelius, Pence likened the ruling to the September 11 terrorist attacks in a closed-door meeting of the House Republican Conference. He immediately apologized for making the statement.

n June 2006, Pence unveiled an immigration plan (which he described as "No Amnesty Immigration reform") that would include increased border security, followed by strict enforcement of laws against hiring illegal aliens, and a guest worker program. This guest worker program would have required participants to apply from their home country to government-approved job placement agencies that match workers with employers who cannot find Americans for the job

Pence supported the USA Patriot Act on its passage in 2001,[194] and in 2005 called the act "essential to our continued success in the war on terror here at home."[195] Pence was a sponsor of legislation in 2009 to extend three expiring provisions of the Patriot Act (the library records provision, the roving-wiretapprovision, and the lone-wolf provision) for an additional ten years.[

Pence "does not accept the scientific consensus that human activity is the primary driver of climate change."] In 2001, Pence wrote in an op-ed that "Global warming is a myth,"] saying that "the earth is actually cooler today than it was about 50 years ago". In 2006 and 2009, Pence expressed the view that it was unclear whether climate change was driven by human activity, and in 2009 he told political commentator Chris Matthews that there was a "growing skepticism in the scientific community about global warming”.

Pence supported President George W. Bush's unsuccessful 2005 proposal to partially privatize Social Security] by allowing workers to invest part of their Social Security payroll taxes in private investment accounts and reduce the increase in benefits for high-income participants Pence had previously proposed a similar but more aggressive reform plan than Bush's.Pence supported the Iraq War Resolution, which authorizedmilitary action against Iraq]During theIraq War, Pence opposed setting a public withdrawal date fromIraq. During an April 2007 visit toBaghdad,4]Pence chaired theHouse Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on the Middle Eastand was a prominent supporter of George W. Bush'sIraq War troop surge of 2007. At the time, Pence stated that "the surge is working" and defended the initial decision to invade in 2003.Pence has opposed closing theGuantanamo Bay detention campand trying the suspected terrorists in the United States As an alternative,

Pence has said that the "enemy combatants" should be tried in a military tribunal.Pence has stated his support ofIsraeland its right to attack facilities in Iran to prevent the Iranians from developing nuclear weapons, has defended the actions of Israel in its use of deadly force in enforcing theblockade of Gaza, and has referred to Israel as "America's most cherished ally".He visited Israel in 2014 to express his support, and in 2016 signed into law a bill which would ban Indiana from having any commercial dealings with a company that boycotts Israel.

On the basis of this perhaps the best we can hope for is a Clinto victory where she is forced to resign and Kaine takes over . However that could be the Republicans sweeping the board in four years time.We are really in the shit.